


Conflict

by TyrantLizardKing



Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/M, Romance, Understanding, Unresolved Emotional Tension, threat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:15:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28224492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TyrantLizardKing/pseuds/TyrantLizardKing
Summary: Zero hour: Cloud Strife and the party must escape from Shinra's headquarters. But when a critical choice results in him locked in a cell with Tifa for the night, what will happen?
Relationships: Cloud Strife & Tifa Lockhart
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	Conflict

“Remember: the 66th floor elevator is where we’ll meet!”

“You better keep Aerith safe.”

Barret cocked his gun arm. “Oh, I will. Come on, sister.”

Barret and Aerith took off quickly, letting Cloud turn his attention back to his remaining companions.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce myself.” The beautiful woman put a hand to her chest as she knelt down to make eye contact with the new creature. “My name is Tifa Lockhart.”

“How polite. I am Red XIII, or so your friend with hair similar to my own insisted I remain known as.”

Cloud sheathed his Buster Sword behind him. “We’ll make that name worth something now that you’re free.”

“My thanks for the early release.” Red XIII bowed. “If Hojo had had his way with Aerith and I just now, I fear I would not have been myself any longer.”

Tifa stood back up and glanced at Cloud. “I’ve never seen anything like Red before.”

Cloud seemed to smile at her. “Didn’t you always say that you wanted a cat when we were kids?”

Tifa cracked a slight smile. “If you must know, my mom was allergic.”

“Pardon me,” Red XIII stepped forward, “but I suggest you table your romantic banter for the time when we are no longer on Shinra’s premises.”

“‘Romantic banter’?” Cloud glared at him. 

“Was I wrong in my deduction? I saw you two fight with me just now. There is so much heart between this pair.” Red XIII’s leonine face curled into an odd smile. “In fact, I don’t think I’ve felt joy like this in quite some time.”

Tifa found her heart fluttering, her eyes meeting Cloud’s with a twinkle. He blinked a few times.

“Well,” Cloud folded his arms, “you’re not wrong. But we really should get moving now.”

\------

The group made their way back down the remaining floors leading to their destination, occasionally needing to fight through. 

“So,” Cloud said in between sword slashes, “how long have they kept you here, Red XIII?”

“It has been quite some time since I last saw my homeland.” Red XIII pounced on a drone, tearing its limbs off. “I only hope my people will accept that I have not perished.”

Tifa punched a guard’s face hard enough to give him a nose bleed. “What about your family?”

“That is too heavy of a subject for me to delve into now.” Red XIII looked at her with his single remaining eye. 

The woman appeared glum, feeling there might be more to connect them than previously expected.

Red XIII paused to cast Fire magic on a squad of small robots, burning their armour up. “There is plenty of time for me to start my life again now. But I would rather you not pity me.”

“Pity you?” Cloud momentarily sheathed his sword to cast Lightning magic. “Why not?”

“Just because I lost out on my youth,” Red XIII slashed a guard’s leg, “does not mean you should feel regret for yourselves.”

“Haaaaah!” A final somersault kick from Tifa sent their last opponent reeling. They were almost to their rendezvous point now. 

“Nice work, Tifa.” Cloud held his fist up, which she propped enthusiastically. 

“You see?” Red XIII took a moment to relax himself. “I admit I envy the close relationship you two have, but I also believe you should continue to cherish it.”

“Don’t worry.” Tifa led their way to the next escalator, “Cloud cares about me as much as I care about him.”

“That is most apparent.”

“Stay focused.” Cloud pointed to the elevators where they were supposed to meet Barret and Aerith. “There’s our rendezvous point.”

“I don’t see the others.” Tifa was wary. “Do you think they were caught?”

“Possibly.” Red XIII commented. “There is also the scenario that their exit is taking longer due to their smaller numbers.”

“What should we do, Cloud?” Both deferred to their appointed group leader, putting faith in him.

Cloud took a moment to think it over. He was worried for their missing friends, but time was of the essence. Getting caught while waiting with uncertainty wouldn’t solve anything. 

“Get in the elevator. We can’t afford to bide our time.”

“Very well. This way, Ms. Lockhart.” 

Quickly the three of them entered the closest elevator they could. 

“This may take a moment.” Cloud reached for the button.

“Up, please.” A gun cocked itself behind them as multiple footsteps followed behind it.

“What?”

Cloud turned to see their small space suddenly occupied by the Turks. Their leader Tseng had the barrel of his pistol pointed to the back of Tifa’s head. “We have a rendezvous to make with President Shinra. All of you will come quietly, or stain this elevator with your blood. A difficult choice?”

“Cloud…” Tifa’s fearful eyes stared into his own.

“...Fine.” Cloud raised his arms up behind his head as Tifa did the same. “You guys win.”

“As Shinra always does.” Tseng smiled at him. His men moved to secure the prisoners, with Tseng ordering those who couldn’t fit to meet them upstairs. Red XIII offered no resistance, only sulking down on the elevator floor and accepting his fate.

As Cloud and Tifa were cuffed, all he could think of was anger towards himself.

_ It was a trap. A blatant trap that I led us straight into. And that look in Tifa’s eyes… _

“Top floor please. President Shinra awaits you.”

\------

A loud clang accompanied the metal door shutting before them. Its new occupants took to opposite sides of the room. 

“How nice of them to put us in the same cell.” Tifa said, legs stretched out over the side of their single bed.

“Did they hurt you?” Cloud was quick to ask. “Are you okay?”

Tifa nodded solemnly. “I’m fine. What about you?”

“Just frustrated.”

“They can’t keep us here forever.”

“No, not about that.”

“Hm?”

Cloud leaned against the wall opposite of the bed Tifa sat on. “That was a trap. They knew we were headed for the 66th floor elevator and caught us easily.”

“It’s fine.” Tifa meekly smiled at him. “We-”

Cloud held up a hand to silence her. “No, it’s not.”

“...”

“We were this close to getting out of here. But I made the wrong call, and now Aerith & Red XIII have to spend more time in this place because of that.”

“Cloud, please.” Tifa got off the bed and closed the distance between them, observing his stiff posture. “You made one mistake, but is that all it takes now to let you down?”

Usually, he would reciprocate her support. But tonight his shell only grew larger.

“And,” one gloved palm covered his face, “when Tseng held you hostage, and you looked at me…I was scared.”

“Ah…” Tifa took a breath. “I’m not hurt though, am I?”

“No, but you could have been.”

“But I’m not!”

“Listen, Tifa, I-”

“No.” She cut him off sharply. “You’re going to listen to me now.”

He hadn’t seen that side of her before. The man was stunned.

Her arms had folded across her chest, her spine stiff with raised shoulders as she spoke to him in a firm manner. “Cloud, you can’t blame yourself for everything bad that happens around you. That’s selfish, inconsiderate, and harmful to everyone- especially you.”

He wanted to interject, yet couldn’t.

“Was I in danger? Yes. Was I scared? Of course, I’m human. Are we currently locked in a cell block with our friends? Indeed. But I haven’t lost my resolve to fight because of a setback.”

So piercing was her angry face that he had to look away, diverting his gaze towards the urinal taking up precious space in their cell. Anything for a distraction...

“Cloud, tell me you won’t give up.”

“I…”

He couldn’t find the answer he wanted, least of all when Tifa’s stern expression gave way to one of sadness and the woman took his hands in her own. She was concerned for him as much as he was for her. Did he feel like he was failing their childhood promise?

“...I need sleep.”

“We can share the bed.”

“No, you take it. I’m used to resting on the floor.” He released himself from her grasp, the man’s body language showing that the conversation was over.

“But Cloud-”

“I’ve made up my mind.”

His legs lowered the rest of his person to the ground, letting Cloud slump against the wall. The Buster Sword had been confiscated, so there was nothing between his back and the cold metal cell. With no means of escape, Cloud’s head nodded down as he drifted off.

Seeing that the time for discussion had passed, Tifa slowly turned away from him and climbed back onto the lone bed present. She lay down across it, before turning on her left side; even with the blanket on, her body felt cold. Something was missing, and it hurt.

Cloud, who hadn’t truly fallen asleep yet, picked up the sound of Tifa crying quietly. 

**Author's Note:**

> Already my second CloTi fic. I'm completely and utterly smitten with not only them but their game as well. Like the previous story this came to me during a late-night session and I hammered most of it out over the next few days. As you can see from the ending, I wanted this story to have a different theme & impact than its predecessor. I hope it hit its mark.
> 
> My progress of the game has passed Midgar and Cloud's flashback to the Nibelheim incident (holy shit that was good, couldn't put the game down until it was over). Hope you all look forward to what else I have in store, and please stay safe. Happy holidays.
> 
> Once again, special thanks to 04JETTA for beta-reading & editing.


End file.
